Resource information
This shadow report, produced by NEWA and EWLA, offers a critique of the Ethiopian government's CEDAW report by looking at three broad areas: economic and socio-cultural status of women, equality in marriage and family relations and violence against women. The report acknowledges the considerable efforts made by the Ethiopian government to address its CEDAW obligations, but cites weak enforcement, poor policy guidelines and a lack of institutional commitment as ongoing problems. Without gender-disaggregated data, and without proper follow-up on government initiatives, it is impossible to know the impact these changes are having. Women in Ethiopia are still disproportionately disadvantaged, with most working in the informal sector. Under-representation of women in the public sphere is also cited as problematic. Changes in education policy are not translating into improved enrolments, with sizeable gaps in the male-female ratio in primary and secondary schools persisting. Women's concerns in relation to health are overlooked, including areas such as contraception, maternal care and HIV/AIDS. The elimination of legal discrimination against women through changes to family law is a significant step forward, although there are still gaps in divorce law and little enforcement to protect women against violence.
